The Fontainebleau Palace Bulgari Royal Hotel is the highest-class royal hotel in Bretonnia, personally designed and established by Queen Sulia. It boasts over 80 rooms, offering stunning views of the waterfront and the magnificent Fontainebleau Palace.
Among these, the King's Suite is the finest. Located in the northwest corner, it overlooks the beautiful Sulia Lake, named after the Queen, and is adjacent to the Lakeside Boulevard. The suite, spanning over 500 square meters, features four bedrooms, two reception rooms, and a grand hall capable of hosting 30 guests for dining. The interior is adorned with luxurious Bretonnian wooden furniture, as well as imported furnishings from across the Old World, including items from the High Elves and the Far East. Each room has a unique style, catering to the diverse tastes of its guests.
Additionally, the suite includes three bathrooms and a private bar stocked with a variety of wines from around the world.
When Olica opened the door to the King's Suite, Aurora was already brimming with excitement. The Saint-level sorceress strode into the room and said to Theresa, who followed behind, "Ah, I've been wanting to stay here for days! This time, I'm staying until next year!"
Theresa, watching her mother's antics, couldn't help but feel both amused and exasperated. She first thanked Olica, then sighed, "Mother, a little decorum, please. Since Ryan has allowed us to stay here, we can take our time. No need to rush."
"Hmph, what do you know?" Aurora retorted, annoyed. "We've given him everything, even the marrow from our bones. What's wrong with enjoying some perks and benefits? Don't lecture me, Theresa. You never say these things when we're together!"
"Mother!!!" Theresa's face turned crimson as she recalled certain embarrassing moments with Aurora. The sorceress crouched down in embarrassment, "Please, don't bring that up, okay?"
"Hmph, I won't mention it, but I know exactly why he's keeping us here," Aurora's attention was quickly drawn to the pastries and Wood Elf wine placed in the room. "Are these all unlimited?"
"Yes, they're unlimited," Olica replied with a sweet smile. "In the master's King's Suite, drinks, beverages, and various amenities are theoretically unlimited. The kitchen is available 24 hours a day, ready to serve any meal at any time. There are also professionals available for body care and all kinds of board games. You can also enjoy the external entertainment facilities directly."
"Fantastic," Aurora lay down on the long sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, covered with a luxurious carpet imported from Tilea, costing hundreds of gold crowns. The Saint-level sorceress kicked off her high heels, "Daughter, come here. It's super comfortable. Is this what it feels like to be a king? It's wonderful."
"Mmm," Theresa also pulled up a sofa chair and sat down, enjoying the view. "Olica, can we invite others to join us? It's a waste to leave so many rooms empty."
Olica smiled silently behind them. The dark elf thought to herself that the mother-daughter pair had modest ambitions. Aurora loved luxury and status, reveling in opulent lifestyles, while Theresa was passionate about ice magic and, like her mother, enjoyed the finer things in life. Beyond that, they had no grand aspirations.
It was precisely because of this that, with the wizard's tower, research funding, and a life of comfort secured, Aurora and Theresa were reluctant to embark on expeditions or adventures.
"Olica?" Theresa pressed when Olica didn't respond. "Are you listening?"
"The daily rate is 150-200 gold crowns. The master allows each of you to bring 1-2 female apprentices," Olica nodded. "Hil-Trolvic will also be staying with you."
"Wonderful!" Aurora's eyes lit up as she pulled out a list of sorceresses and witches from her faction within the Sorceress Conclave. She turned to Theresa, "We can arrange for everyone to experience the King's Suite for a day or two. Since Ryan's covering the cost, why not?"
"Is that... appropriate?" Theresa hesitated.
"Why not? It's not our money," Aurora waved off the concern, already scheming. "How about we do a group booking?"
"Group booking?"
"Yes, charge 20 gold crowns per person per day. Anyone who pays 20 gold crowns can come in and enjoy the King's Suite for a day. I remember many council members and apprentices want to try it. Ever since Catherine succeeded, do you know how many in the Conclave want to hook a Supreme Grail Knight like Marshal Calard of Garamont?"
Olica's eyebrow twitched as she listened. The dark elf thought to herself that the master had opened the King's Suite to pamper them, and now they wanted to sublet it for profit?
Moreover, this sounded familiar. Olica recalled that a few days ago, a group of so-called "noble socialites" had booked a luxury suite, with over twenty people taking turns to enjoy the Fontainebleau Palace's beautiful scenery and various entertainments. In the end, they had stripped the suite of everything they could carry.
Group bookings? Sure, why not.
Though, in reality, the hotel still profited.
Never mind. Olica suddenly began chanting a spell, and the Staff of Ereth Khial materialized in her hand. Aurora and Theresa were puzzled as to why Olica was casting a spell, but their eyes were soon drawn to the pale light emanating from the staff.
"What's happening? I can't look away..."
"Olica, what are you doing..."
The Saint-level sorceress and sorceress's gazes immediately glazed over. They seemed to lose all awareness of their surroundings, fixated on the pale light.
"Get up, you two sows," Olica, dressed in her black-and-white maid outfit with white stockings, spoke with a cold, disdainful tone. "Kneel."
Aurora and Theresa instantly stood up and then knelt before Olica. "We await your command, Mistress."
The dark elf couldn't help but smile. Olica's continuous brainwashing and hypnosis had been nearly completed over the past few years. Throughout the process, Aurora and Theresa had occasionally sensed something amiss, but with the mother-daughter pair no match for Olica, the hypnosis had progressed from surface consciousness to deep subconsciousness, fully reshaping their minds.
Only the final step remained: completely erasing and replacing their core personalities and self-awareness.
However, Ryan had halted this step. He didn't want Theresa and Aurora to lose their sense of self and become puppets. He preferred that they work for him willingly, living comfortably as his court ladies.
The master is too kind! Olica gritted her teeth, her heart filled with disdain. She paused, then asked, "You two sows, tell me, where did you get that list of Chaos cults in the Empire?"
The dark elf knew that while Aurora and Theresa were skilled in intelligence gathering and had earned Ryan's favor, they couldn't possibly have mapped out nearly all the Chaos cults in the Empire. Even the High Elf Swordmasters of Hoeth couldn't achieve such a feat. There had to be more to this story.
"A female vampire delivered the information to us," Theresa's silver eyes were devoid of light as she spoke in a daze. "She said it was a gift from her master, to be passed on to the great Sun King."
"A female vampire? What did she look like?" Olica asked, intrigued.
"A girl who appeared to be fifteen or sixteen years old, likely of Bretonnian eastern descent, with long brown hair. She was very beautiful," Theresa, still under deep hypnosis, revealed everything she knew. "She approached us and handed over the list, saying she would also send a 'gift package' to the Sun King, who was facing trouble in Albion."
"A gift package? What gift package? Speak!" Olica turned to Aurora.
"She said her master mentioned that the resurrection of the Lord of the Dead is still underway, and only the Sun King... has a chance to stop it," Aurora spoke in a monotone. "Therefore, the Sun King must not fall. After hearing about the troubles in Albion, she said her master would definitely step in to help."
"Oh, such generosity?" Olica sneered. The dark elf didn't believe in friendship, only in利益 (interests). "There must be conditions, right?"
"She said there had been some... misunderstandings between her master and the Sun King in the past," Aurora continued. "She hoped we could help clear up those misunderstandings at a critical moment."
"Did you accept anything from her?" Olica already had a guess as to who this "master" was.
The Queen of Silver Pinnacle, Neferata, the Blood Queen of Lahmia!
The two had clashed fiercely at the Gates of Valaya, nearly pushing Ryan to his limit. Now, Neferata regretted it. With the young queen captured by Arkhan and Mannfred, the conditions for Nagash's resurrection were drawing closer. Neferata was desperate. She now hoped to mend relations with Ryan and have him stop Arkhan and Mannfred!
Abhorash, the Blood Dragon progenitor, was Neferata's former lover and captain of her guard. Only Neferata could persuade Abhorash to intervene and help Ryan repel the undead pirate fleet of Count Noctilus!
"We accepted 1,000 gold marks as... compensation, along with the list," Aurora explained. "The list was the result of over a century of investigation and conflict by the Lahmian vampires infiltrating the noble circles of all Imperial provinces. The vampires... those hidden among the Empire's high nobility have long been fighting Chaos cults. Without them, Karl Franz's Empire would have already collapsed."
"You accepted both the money and the list?" Olica thought to herself that perhaps it would be better to just erase them! Traitorous scum!
"We accepted the list, as it was something Ryan needed and a great achievement. As for the money, Theresa refused to take it. After some thought, I also decided against it," Aurora said. "I'm satisfied with my current life. Though I'm reluctant to admit it, I know Ryan treats me well and has always protected me. There's no need to take risks."
Hmm, that's acceptable. Perhaps I'll let them off this time. Olica nodded. This was crucial information that needed to be reported to the master immediately.
After a moment of thought, Olica instructed, "Forget about your interactions with the vampire. The list was obtained through your own efforts. You believe you deserve the master's... Ryan's favor and rewards."
"Yes," both Aurora and Theresa nodded.
"Next, you'll want to take some time for body care, cleaning and refreshing yourselves. Keep your current outfits, but remember to change into the stockings from the box. Aurora, you'll wear gray; Theresa, you'll wear black," Olica continued. "Just wear the stockings."
"Yes."
"Good. Return to your original positions. When I count to three, you'll wake up immediately, believing that inviting other sorceresses to share the suite is unnecessary. You'll forget about the useless services I just described," Olica raised her fingers. "Three, two, one!"
"Snap!"
In an instant, both Theresa and Aurora jolted as if waking from a dream, their eyes regaining their usual sparkle.
"Olica, do you have other matters to attend to?" Aurora returned to her previous demeanor, her face showing a hint of annoyance. "You've said so many useless things. I can't remember them all. You're Ryan's personal maid; you should go attend to your duties."
Theresa, however, felt something was off. The sorceress sensed that her state was strange but couldn't quite recall why. As she pondered, the thought of needing to take care of her body quickly surfaced. "Yes, Olica, you can go. Mother and I know what to do. It's time for some self-care."
"Then please enjoy the master and mistress's King's Suite," Olica smiled and retreated.
---
*Meanwhile, in the Fontainebleau Palace Grand Bathhouse*
Thick steam filled the air as stone statues of lion-headed fish sprayed hot water into the large bath. The Sun King Ryan and his eldest son, Baron Frederic of Gisoreux, soaked together.
Devonshire was clearly enjoying this rare bonding time with his father. He swam around the bath until he reached Ryan's side. "Dad, do you usually bathe like this with Mom, Aunt Olica, and Aunt Morgiana?"
"Yes, why?" Ryan pinched his son's cheek. Devonshire, already over 1.7 meters tall at just 14 years old, grinned as his father continued, "Bathing is just bathing. What else could it be?"
"Dad, you're lying. With others, maybe, but you often go in with Mom and come out with Lilith Mom too," Devonshire said with a look of disdain. "And Aunt Morgiana—you often spend hours in there, splashing water everywhere."
"Hahaha!" Ryan laughed heartily. "Your Aunt Morgiana is on her way back from Couronne. When she returns, I'll have to deal with her again."
"Ah, Dad, you're something else," Devonshire deliberately leaned in for a closer look, then quipped, "Oh, Dad, you've got quite the endowment. No wonder both Moms and all those aunties love you so much."
"Brat, you're not too shabby yourself," Ryan glanced at his son and splashed water at his face. "You're still young. In a few years, I'll take you to your Lilith Mom's church to see some interesting things and find a few beautiful Damsels to help you out."
Ryan expected Devonshire to be excited, but his son fell silent. "What's wrong, son?"
"Dad, I didn't mean to yell at Uncle Angron," Devonshire said, lowering his head. "I was just... I don't know, I was worried about whether Alarielle might already be... and also..."
"And also, you were afraid your brother Fred might beat you to it, right?" Ryan smirked.
Devonshire nodded sheepishly. "It felt like something good was being taken away from me."
"Fred's things are Fred's, and yours are yours. There's nothing for you two to compete over," Ryan shook his head. "If there's anything to compete for, it's Alarielle. But my son, you can compete, just don't let anger cloud your judgment. You must stay calm and think rationally."
"But I can't help it!" Devonshire said helplessly.
"You have to!" Ryan scolded. "Just because you can't help it doesn't mean you can yell at Uncle Angron! He's kind and didn't hold it against you, but try yelling at Uncle Lion next time!"
"Uh..." Devonshire had no retort.
He'd rather yell at his grandfather than dare to yell at Uncle Lion.
"Devon, do you know about your grandfather's youth?" Ryan asked after a moment of thought.
"Grandfather?" Devonshire had a good relationship with Francois, who doted on his grandson.
"Your grandfather was just like you in his youth—passionate and impulsive. When he was a Knight Errant, he loved chasing women and even got into a duel over a singer," Ryan chuckled. "After the duel, one side was severely injured and unconscious, while your grandfather was bruised and bleeding all over. During the fight, they hurled insults at each other's ancestors, tracing back to the founding era, only to realize they were insulting the same person—Ludmilla, one of the first Grail Knights. It almost led to a war between their families."
"Really? I can't imagine Grandfather like that!" Devonshire said with great interest. "He always seems so composed, speaking with such clarity, like he's playing a board game."
"Have you noticed that your grandfather always pauses before speaking and talks very slowly?" Ryan smiled.
"Now that you mention it, yes," Devonshire nodded quickly.
"That's intentional," Ryan said seriously, patting his son's shoulder.
"He uses this 'slowness' to counteract the innate 'quickness' within us. By slowing down, thinking clearly, and then speaking, you avoid situations like yelling at your Uncle Angron. Understand?"
"I understand, Dad!"
"Good. There's one more thing I need to tell you."
"Go ahead, Dad."
"Do you feel like..."
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